The Week from Hell
by Takada Saiko
Summary: set 12 years before "A brush with East India Company". Bootstrap Bill takes a very injured Jack Sparrow to his own home in hopes of saving the young pirate's life. R&R please!


Title: A week from hell  
  
Author: Saiko  
  
A/N: This is set 12 years before my story "A Brush with the East India" and taken from when Jack was talking to Ana Maria about his first capture. It also comes from the flashback in "My Father's Son" where Jack remembers he's only been in the Turner house once since he had become captain. I'm planning on this being a oneshot, it kinda depends on what it wants to be. I really have no say in it lol. My fingers don't ask me when I type.......  
  
Jack Sparrow stumbled from the prison area, head spinning. Everything hurt. He was sure that he was bleeding again and there was no one to help him. He felt himself collapse on the ground. He was almost there, but he wasn't sure he could get up again.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
Jack recognized William's voice. Daft idiot, he thought, always doing something stupid. He had a wife a kid at home, why was he the coming after his captain? He never realized the answer as he felt everything fade into darkness.  
  
-----------------------------------  
  
Rebecca Turner gasped at the loud pounding at the door. Who would be coming at this time of night with such racket? "Yes?" she asked politely as she opened the door only slightly. "William!"  
  
William stepped in with Jack pulled closely to him in his arms. "East India," he said as he moved quickly through the house. "Don't let Will come out."  
  
"Aye..." his wife nodded. They had decided earlier on that the lad would not know of his father being a pirate. Children are prone to tell things to others even if they never meant to. Rebecca was sure he'd caught glimpses of Jack over the years, but they'd never let the two meet.  
  
"Wha's goin' on, Mama?" the boy asked form the door.  
  
"Go back inside your room. Don't ask questions."  
  
Will saw the frantic look in his mother's eyes and nodded quickly, disappearing.  
  
"What can I do?" Rebecca asked as William stretched the young pirate captain out on the spare bed. A fever had set in – probably before he'd escaped – and the dark haired lad was holding tightly to the sheets. Rebecca watched him carefully. He was only eighteen.... Why would they do this to someone so young?  
  
He turned around only long enough to issue an order. "Boil some water and get bandages. Plenty of them." He turned back to Jack and tugged the bandana from his hair, smoothing it back as soothingly as he could. "Jack, can you 'ear me, lad?"  
  
The young captain groaned as his eyes fluttered open. "William.... Where are we?"  
  
"My home."  
  
"Ye'll put yer family in danger."  
  
"We're all safe 'ere, lad. No worries."  
  
Jack nodded and tried to relax. Everything hurt and why was it so cold? He took a long, ragged breath and turned his eyes to the door. "'allo, Rebecca," he greeted hoarsely.  
  
"What a mess you've gotten yourself into," she said as she handed her husband the objects he'd requested. "You look dreadful, Jack."  
  
"I feel it."  
  
William tugged at the makeshift bandages around Jack's left arm and Rebecca gasped. "He'll be lucky if he can ever use that arm again!"  
  
"S'not as bad as it looks," Jack mumbled and then hissed with pain. "William!"  
  
"Sorry, lad." He dipped a piece of cloth into the warm water and gently laid it over the burned skin. He focused only on his task and attempted not to notice Jack's wincing.  
  
"Is the other one that bad?" Rebecca asked as she peered at the bandage around his right arm.  
  
"It's a brand," her husband answered as he wrapped a bandage tightly around the other arm. He then moved the dark haired pirate's shirt away from to nasty looking bullet wounds. "Did they even treat this?"  
  
Jack winced. "Threw water on it and wrapped it up a bit. 'ey don' worry too much if 'ey're plannin' on killin ye, William."  
  
"I know."  
  
"What on earth.... They shot you?" Rebecca asked quietly from her husband's side. "Jack... You're too young to have this..."  
  
"It was a cheap shot," Jack said as he shifted his weight a bit. "Thought I'd beaten the man 'till he brought out 'is pistol."  
  
"Should I fetch a doctor?"  
  
"No. They'll send word to be on the lookout for Jack. Where we found 'im weren't far from English shores. I think wha' I know wha' to do will be enough. It'll scar, but 'e'll live."  
  
"What can I do to help you?"  
  
"Go check on Will."  
  
Rebecca nodded and left the room. She could barely look at Jack as it was. He'd grown so much in the last four years since she'd met him. William had brought him home saying he was the newest lad on the ship. She'd taken to the boy's trusting attitude immediately. That was one of the few things that hadn't changed as Jack had grown with piracy. This was going to steal just a bit more innocents from him. Every day a little more.  
  
"Will? Are you in here?"  
  
"Aye, Momma, you told me to stay in here. Who was that?"  
  
"Your father brought home a very sick friend. You shouldn't bother them."  
  
"Aye.... Is he going to die?"  
  
"No, honey, he'll be just fine."  
  
Will nodded slowly.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
"How is he?" Rebecca asked as she watched her husband step from the room.  
  
"He'll 'ave plenty of scars from this, but I think he'll pull through."  
  
"He looked terrible."  
  
"Aye, but Jack's a tough lad. He could pull through anythin'."  
  
"I hope you're right."  
  
"Of course I am."  
  
------------------------  
  
Jack dreamed fevered dreams the next few days that he slept. He tossed and turned, groaning when the pain would race through every nerve. He woke only twice within three days – and none at all for four – but each time he was delusional. His mind was fogged by the high fever and would not obey his commands to come under his control once again.  
  
William worried when he would thrash about, but he worried more when he was still. He feared he would enter the small room to check on him and he'd find the young captain dead from wounds that a young body should not sustain.  
  
"You've done everything you can," Rebecca whispered into his ear, kissing him lightly. "The rest is up to him."  
  
"He's a strong lad."  
  
"That he is."  
  
William stepped into the room, touching Jack on the shoulder lightly. He watched glazed brown eyes open. "You with me, Cap'n?"  
  
"Aye."  
  
"How ye feelin'?"  
  
"Like hell."  
  
William chuckled as he smoothed unruly black hair back out of Jack's face. "I don't think you've been fully conscious for a good week, so this must be a good sign."  
  
"Maybe..."  
  
William opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. "I'll be back in a moment."  
  
Jack watched him leave and slowly sat up. Something wasn't right. It was dark outside. Why on earth would anyone be there? He forced his body to obey as he stood on shaky legs and inched toward the door. He nearly fell back when he saw someone he recognized to be with the East India Company. "I told 'im this was puttin' them in danger," he grumbled, moving towards the window.  
  
"May I help you?" Rebecca was asking in the living room.  
  
"A young man escaped a few days ago from our care. He's eighteen, black hair, tan, dark eyes. He was badly wounded and had the mark of a pirate on his right forearm. Seen anyone like that?"  
  
"I'm afraid not, sir."  
  
"We have the right to search this house to make sure he has not snuck in, ma'am, for your own safety of course."  
  
"You may not come into my house," Rebecca said firmly. "William!"  
  
William stepped up behind her. "There's no need to search the house, gentlemen. I would know if we had an unwanted guest."  
  
"All the same," the man said as he pushed his way into the house.  
  
Rebecca looked at her husband. What could they do? They followed the small group of men back through the house and finally to the room Jack was staying in. They opened the door to find the room empty, everything in perfect order except the bed appeared it had been slept in recently with the sheets thrown here and there.  
  
"Who stays in this room?" one of the men asked.  
  
William made a face. "Ye see, sir, I'm a sailor and I was supposed to be 'ome a week earlier than I was and so me wife got a bit angry with me...."  
  
Rebecca attempted not to laugh. She'd never done that to him when he did not come home as planned, but it was a tempting idea.  
  
"Well thank you very much for your time, Mr. and Mrs. Turner. I'm quite sorry it was such a late visit. Good evening."  
  
As soon as they left Rebecca turned to her husband. "Where is he?"  
  
"Went out the window, I dare say," William answered. "Lad wasn't well enough to pull that stunt, but it looks like 'e did." He was looking out the window and down the alley. Jack was nowhere to be seen. Typical.  
  
"What if he's hurt himself more?" Rebecca demanded. "We should go look for him!"  
  
"If ye 'ad't noticed, there are already people looking for him. We would simply make it 'arder for 'im to return."  
  
-----------------------  
  
It was a good half hour before a weak knock on the door was heard. William was quick to his feet and all but caught Jack as he stumbled into the room. "Sit."  
  
"No."  
  
William eyed the lad carefully. He didn't order him often, especially since Jack had become the captain, but he had never responded so firmly either.  
  
"I told ye, William, tha' 'm puttin' yer family in danger by bein' 'ere," Jack slurred together, fever still radiating off of him.  
  
"They're gone, lad, they're not coming back. Me family is fine."  
  
"No.... 'ey might come back... I'll go back to the Pearl. You stay 'ere, William, with yer family, eh? We'll come back for ye in a bit, but ye can 'ave a long time with 'em, what say you?"  
  
"I say no."  
  
"I say 'm orderin' it," Jack answered sternly as he forced himself to stand strait. "William, 'm no lad any longer. 'm puttin' yer family in danger, puttin' me ship in danger, and everything now. We'll set sail tonight."  
  
"Jack..."  
  
"S'okay, William, I'll be fine enough, eh, then I'll come back for ye."  
  
"Jack, you can't do this," Rebecca protested. "Stay, please."  
  
Jack shook his head, regretting the action as the room spun. "There'll be a day come soon you won' even wan' me in yer 'ouse, Becca," the pirate captain said quietly.  
  
"Jack... That's silly."  
  
He shook his head again, though this time slower. "'m the one'll be comin' for 'im now, luv. 'm the one who'll be takin' 'im away from ye."  
  
Rebecca let the words sink in before she turned her face away. When William had sent her a letter telling her that Jack had become captain, she thought perhaps it was in name alone. He was so young, after all, but apparently she'd been wrong. William was right. He was a strong lad, though not really a lad after all.  
  
"Then go," she whispered.  
  
"Rebecca!"  
  
"Let him go, William. We can't keep him here if he won't stay. He's grown and can make his own decisions."  
  
Jack nodded, slowly stepping back towards the door. "Thank you," he said at length before opening the door. "I owe you two more'n I'd every thought I'd owe anyone." That said he stepped out and disappeared down the alleyways.  
  
"Did papa's friend leave?" little Will asked from behind.  
  
"Aye," his mother answered.  
  
"Was he feeling better?"  
  
"I 'ope so, lad," William answered his son. "I really do 'ope so."  
  
----------------------------  
  
It was a month later that Jack Sparrow showed up on the doorstep to the Turner's house, a bright grin plastered on his still far too pale features and his hat perched on his head, covering the bandana and many beads that hung from the unruly midnight locks. "'allo, Rebecca! 'ow be ye on this fine morning?"  
  
"You've come to take him away then? I've just gotten used to him being home."  
  
"Sorry, luv, got to," he said as he started to step in.  
  
"You stay out of this house until you come for a proper visit once again, Jack Sparrow!" she told him, shaking her finger at him. "I'll not have the pirate captain here, only the friend."  
  
"Well I 'spose I'll be waiting outside, luv," he said with a wink.  
  
Rebecca rolled her eyes. Why had she ever worried about him, she did not know. "I'll fetch him then, if that's all I might be able to do."  
  
"Sorry." Jack watched her turn and slam the door in his face. He gave a small smile. No need to take it personally. Rebecca simply loved her husband, even if she hated pirates. He turned to lean on the house.  
  
"You look like yer feelin' a bit better," William's voice drifted to his ears.  
  
"I am," Jack answered with a grin. "You ready?"  
  
"As ready as I'll ever be," William answered, throwing a sack with personal items in it over his shoulder to carry. They began to walk to the docks in silence.  
  
"Ye know," Jack said at length. "Tha' week – it was a week from 'ell itself – but thank you, William."  
  
William grinned at his younger friend. "No problem, Cap'n."  
  
"I like the sound of tha', ye know," Jack answered with a grin. "Captain Jack Sparrow. 'as a certain ring to it ye might say."  
  
William laughed. "I'd say so."  
  
"William, when am I going to meet that lad of yers finally?"  
  
"Someday, Jack. Tha' I promise."  
  
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A/N: I started this this morning and I came back to it later, but I'm sunburned now . It hurts..... ::sob:: oh well, it'll turn to tan if it doesn't peal.... ::crosses fingers:: Tha' wouldn't be good...... Please R&R! I'm an addict. It's sad, really............. 


End file.
